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Whole Foods CEO John Mackey (Photo: The Statesman)

John Mackey, the co-founder and CEO of Whole Foods, has been in some hot water lately for weighing in on current affairs. Not long after comparing ObamaCare to “fascism,” Mackey has enraged environmentalists by arguing that global warming is not “that big a deal” — and that it might actually ​benefit​ humans.

Speaking with CNBC/Yahoo Finance’s “Off the Cuff,” Mackey had just finished saying he has a tendency to put his “foot in [his] mouth” when asked about global warming:

“I haven’t been outspoken about global warming. I’ve been smeared quite a bit in the media about it – all of a sudden, I’m a climate change denier. I mean, climate change is obviously occurring. So — it’s gotten a little bit warmer. I guess my position on it is that I don’t think that’s that big a deal. Actually, humanity’s flourished usually when temperatures gradually warmed. And humans gradually adapt to it.”

“We can probably eliminate poverty on the planet earth in the next 50 years if we will just continue to follow the tenets of free enterprise capitalism to the greatest extent possible. So I just don’t want to see that change.”

John Mackey, the co-founder and CEO of Whole Foods Market, seems like a man of contradictions. His company’s motto is “Whole Foods, Whole People, Whole Planet” — yet he says there’s an upside to global warming, and he’s reportedly wary of labor unions. He’s a vegan with a self-described Libertarian bent. He’s grown his business to an $11 billion Fortune 300 company, but his salary is $1 per year. To 70,000 team members, he’s the boss…

In 1978, Mackey and his then-girlfriend opened a small natural foods store in Austin, Texas, with a $45,000 loan from friends and family. Whole Foods now has 340 stores worldwide. The company advertises its commitment to organic produce, seafood sustainability and what it describes as its “Green Mission.” But Mackey’s views on climate change may surprise his core customers.

Indeed. One Huffington Post commenter said of Mackey’s remarks: ” This is why we are just another extinct species waiting our turn. Despite all the knowledge we now possess, the majority of people are just imbeciles & cannot or will not be educated.”